NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
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From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2004 Sep 26, 18:35 -0500
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2004 Sep 26, 18:35 -0500
Soviet Star Globe Two days ago I received a Soviet star globe. I feel this device is rare in the West nowadays, so I am describing it in detail. In the end of this message I share some info on finding and purchasing these globes. 1. Star globes solve the same problems as Rude Star Finders, but they do it faster, more conveniently and more precisely. The only disadvantage seems to be the size: it fits in the box of roughly 9.5 x 9.5 x 10 inches and weights 10 lb. (So it is not for small yachts:-) but I imagine that on an aircraft carrier this would be a very handy device. Soviets had it as a standard equipment. A star globe permits you to solve all Celestial nav problems in few seconds, without any calculation, and the precision seems to be about 0.5d. Soviet ones come with certificate which says: the error of the arcs division is at most 0.1d. The Russian manual (that I read in my childhood) mentions two main uses. First, for planning observations. You set it on your approximate lattitude and local time of observation. It shows you the REAL picture of the sky at this time and lattitude. Second, for identifying stars and planets. For example, in a cloudy weather you suddenly spot a star in the hole between clouds. You take its altitude, whithout knowing which star or planet it is. Then you look at the globe and identify it. One advantage in comparison with the Star Finder is that the Globe permits, for example, to find approximate star distances and lunar distances to pre-set your sextant (within 0.5 d). Then catching two bodies 70 degrees apart makes no problem. It is easy to describe many more uses: it just solves any spherical triangle instantenously, with about 0.5 d precision. 2. The globe conststs of the sphere made of some hard material, maybe wood, I am not sure. Stars are drawn on the surface (Hayer names), as well as the equator and ecliptic circle, divided in degrees. You can mark Sun, Moon and planets with a pencil. Time is also marked along the equator. The globe itself is pivoted inside the meridian ring. It is made of brass, with marking for degrees. This assembly (the globe and the meridian ring) is inserted in a wood box, in such a way that you can install the globe axis according to your lattitude. So that when it is installed correctly, the axis of the globe is parallel to the axis of rotation of the Celestial Sphere over your head. Then you rotate the globe about its own axis to set the local time. On top of this assembly there are two brass altitude/azymuth rings which form a cross of two perpendicular semi-circles supported by a horizontal circle. This cross-assembly can be rotated in the horizontal plane. Finally there is a sharp pointer that you can move on this cross semi-circles to point at a star precisely. The azimuth is then read on a brass horizontal circle attached to the box. 3. As I understand, a slightly different model (aliminium instead of brass, and different configuration of circles) is produced now by Freiberger, or maybe they just sell from their warehouse:-) The price of a new Freiberger is $1675. IMPORTANT: Russian globes are of two types: with Latin and Cyrillic inscriptions (names of constellations)! Most of the globes on e-bay have Cyrillic inscriptions. Typical e-bay price is $300-$400 (add shipping and wire transfer!) All Russian and Ukrainian e-bay sellers mentioned in my previous messages have many of Cyrillic ones, one of them has 4 Latin ones, e-mail me if you want to know which one. (I do not want to advertise anything on this list:-) Once I saw on e-bay a British-made globe by Hughes, of 1930-s, which seems to be identical to the Russian one I described. It was sold for over $700, if I remember correctly. 4. I bought my one from a British e-bay seller. And it was damaged, probably during transportation. The common fault of all Soviet devices I have is a pine box. And again one clamp broke during transportation (as it happened with my Soviet sextant). As a result, one of the globe pivots (a tiny metal screw, of unusual form made by Soviet standards) broke, and I spent two days looking for replacement:-( Finally I had to MAKE one myself! Now I repaired it, and tested, and excited and writing this report:-) Conclusion: When you pack Soviet equipment, do NOT rely on the clamps: put foam INSIDE the box! Alex.